Air-line lubricator



June 18, 1940. H. F. M. RoUsE AIR-LINE LUBRICATOR Filed oct. e. 195s XrCZ-OT" Howace FM ROUES@ SH'OTDT Patented June 18, 1940 UNlTE STATES PATENT FFECE AIR-LINE LUBRICATOR Application October 6,

1938, Serial No. 233,537'

In the Union of South Africa October 14, 1937 7 Claims.

This invention relates to lubricators and more particularly to air-line lubricators.

An air-line lubricator comprises a closed container for a liquid lubricant or oil, communicating by means of a small orifice or passage, with the air pipe supplying compressed air to the air operated mechanism it is desired to lubrieate.

It is well known that such lubricators, from the said orifice and under nominal working conditions, slowly exude oil which is taken up by the air stream.

When, however, such a lubricator is disconnected from the air-line or should the pressure in the air-line drop considerably, the lubricant in the container is liable to be expelled relatively rapidly thus causing wastage. This is due to the expansion of the body of air accumulated under pressure in the container and above the oil. To overcome this difficulty a loaded valve in the noszle may be provided to prevent, automatically, the excessive escape of the oil, but to avoid cornplications, and, at the same time, make the apparatus more eiiicient, according to this invention, spring controlled valves are avoided.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an eicient air-line lubricator which will supply a minute but regular supply of lubricant under working conditions and which will not waste oil when disconnected from the air-line or when the air pressure fails. v

A further object is so to design the-lubricator that it will operate in any position and, by avoiding all surface projections in its construction will not be damaged when moved over the rough surfaces in the mine.

The invention is illustrated, in the preferred form, in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l. is a sectional elevation of the lubricator, and

Fig. 2 is a view at right angles'to Fig. l.

Ill is the container for the oil supply and housing for the lubricator. It is provided with a joint ring I I. i2 is a tube forming part of the airline and i3 the lubricating holes therein.

The lubricator is mounted on the collar i4 which is slipped onto the tube I2 'and rotatably locked in place by snap rings I5. The collar I 4 is provided with a nozzle I6 having a very small orifice I'I. This orice communicates with the annular space I8 and so through the holes I3 to the air-line. The space I8 may be bevelled to drain towards the holes I3.

Just above the orice II is an air-pipe ISB curved to lie near to the inside periphery of the container I for the purpose hereafter mentioned.

The pipe I 9 is of small bore but larger by several times the area of the orice II. Around the lower end of pipe I9 is the closed sleeve 2@ which is rotatably secured by nut 2l to the nipple 22 containing the nozzle I6. There is thus a space 23 round the pipe I9 communicating with the oil supply pipe 24. The oil pipe 24 preferably has a bore several times bigger than that of the airpipe I9. This tting 2@ carries therefore both e, the air-pipe i9 and the oil pipe 2li projecting in '10 opposite directions therefrom and is free to revolve about an axis generally, and as shown, at right angles to the axis of the air-line I2. The oil pipe Eil is curved and weighted at 25 so that its end 25 will lie close to the inside wall of 15 container i@ and on the opposite side of sleeve 2li to the air lpipe I. It will be observed that the end of pipe i9 terminates at 2l which is close to the opening of the orifice Il, and a little distance beyond the oil space 23. "2'0 The counter-weight 28 projecting from the collar ifl serves to keep the lubricator in its proper position andl allow the end 26 of the oil pipe 2li to dip into the oil, no matter what the position of the device as a whole.

The action of the lubricator is as follows. Assuming that the air supply is connected to the pipe I2 and passing therethrough to drive a rock drill or other air-driven device. The air pressure v will be pulsating due to the variations in conc30 sumption. The 'weights 23, and 25 on pipe 24, will co-operate to keep the end 25 in the oil whilst the air pipe i9 will have its outlet 29 above the oil and in any air space that exists in the con-- tainer no matter what the position of the container.

Air from the air line will pass through the tube i2 and up the orifice I'I, through the pipe I9 into the container Ill and will form a pressure therein, the pressure tending to equal the pressure in the air line I2. AS soon the pulsations allow the pressure in the air line I2 to fall, pressure on the oil in the pipe 2e will be released causing the oil to surge up the pipe and into the space 23. The air pressure on the surface of the oil in the container will assist this upward surge. The oil in the space 23 will tend to ll the space 3D and so cover the face of the oriiice I'I. The air pressure in the air pipe I will escape from the end 2l' and in doing so will blow the drop of oil 50 down through the orifice il and so into the air line I2.

All the air escaping from the end 21 will not nd its way down the orifice Il, part will escape and cut a passage through the ol drop filling the space 30. Thus the air will cut oiT the flow of oil and so prevent any ejector action. The container will be relieved of air pressure or the pressure in the container I will balance the pressure in the air line I2, and the oil lm 30 over the orifice IT will be remade so that no air without the extra pressure to break this lm can enter the container I0; consequently the oil will not leak therefrom. The pressure of the air in the container I will pulsate in unison with the pulsations of the air in the air line I2. The oil in the container ID will therefore be subjected to a variation of air pressure which will reciprocate the oil in pipe 24.

An oil film that covers the orifice Il will be in the path of the air which escapes from the container so that the lm of oil in space 38 will be broken by the excess air and the escaping air will spit a small particle of oil from the lm 3U through the orice I '1, space I8, holes I3 and into the air-line I2. This action will tend to operate in harmony with the pulsations of the air in the pipe line.

The container ID may be supplied with oil through the aperture 3I. If desired this aperture 3i may be plugged by an alemite buttonhead airtight lubricating tting, not shown, but which is well known in the trade, and which incorporates a spring controlling an outwardly closing valve, which, by the operation of a lubricant supply gun, allows a stream of lubricant under pressure to be injected into the chamber. Thereafter the aperture automatically closes with the withdrawal of the gun.

The lubricator may be provided with sockets 32 at each end to enable it to be inserted into the pipe line.

It will be understood that it will not matter in which direction the air flows through the tube l2 nor in what position the lubricator may lie, in fact, if the lubricator has the tube I2 hanging vertically the lubricator will still function, and the oil will not waste when the pressure in the air line fails.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lubricator adapted for insertion into an air line comprising a container for the lubricant surrounding the air line; a nozzle opening into a narrow passage between a tube communicating with the air space in the container above the oil and a tube communicating with the oil in the container, and balance Weights to maintain the parts in proper operative position.

2. An air-line lubricator consisting of a container, a nozzle for feeding lubricant from the container to the air-line, means at the inward side of the nozzle for controlling the ow of lubricant through the nozzle said means comprising an air pipe and an oil pipe both communicating with the same housing covering the nozzle and so mounted that, in all positions of the container, the oil pipe terminates in the lower part of the container whilst the air pipe terminates in the upper part thereof.

3. An air-line lubricator consisting of a container, a nozzle for feeding lubricant from the container to the air-line, means at the inward side of the nozzle for controlling the flow of lubricant through the nozzle said means comprising an air pipe the bore of the air tube being larger than the bore of the nozzle and an oil pipe both communicating with the same housing covering the nozzle and so mounted that, in all positions of the container, the oil pipe terminates in the lower part of the container whilst the air pipe terminates in the upper part thereof.

4. An air-line lubricator consisting of a container, a nozzle for feeding lubricant from the container to the air line, means at the inward side of the nozzle, for controlling the flow of lubricant through the nozzle said means comprising an air pipe and an oil pipe in which the bore of the oil tube is larger than the bore of the air tube, both communicating with the same housing covering the nozzle and so mounted that, in all positions of the container, the oil pipe terminates in the lower part of the container whilst the air pipe terminates in the upper part thereof.

5. A lubricator adapted for insertion into an air-line comprising a container, a nozzle joining the air-line and the container for feeding the lubricant from the container into the air line.

means on the container side of the nozzle for directing air from the air line to the air space in the container and also for conveying oil from the container to the nozzle, a narrow space over said nozzle through which the air passes and connected to the oil supply and weights on said means to swing and maintain it in proper functioning position.

6. A lubricator adapted for insertion into an air-line, comprising a container, a nozzle joining the air-line and the container for feeding the lubricant from the container into the airline and also for conveying air from the airline into the container, means on the container side of the nozzle for directing the air from the 1 of the nozzle and with which it communicates,

a tube in proximity to the nozzle for conveying pulsations passing from the air in the air-line through the nozzle to the interior of the container and a passage for the oil between said air tube and the inlet of the nozzle and balance weights to maintain the parts in proper operative position.

HORACE FREDERICK MACDONALD RO'USE. 

